[7] In 1855 and 1856, the federal government negotiated treaties with local Columbia River Basin tribes that guaranteed them the right to fish for salmon in areas where people had started to colonize in exchange for several million acres of land.

[7] Tribes are arguing now that they can’t fish for salmon on ancestral lands anymore because the populations have declined so dramatically as a result of the dams.

It’s estimated that nearly 34,000 acres of land and 150 miles of riverside would be restored if the dams were breached, allowing tribal hunting and fishing to be revitalized in areas that have been flooded and/or engineered for decades.

Breaching the dams would also provide PNW tribes along the Columbia River Basin the chance to care for and reconnect with places that are considered sacred or used for ceremonial purposes.

The Washington State Government has a goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and are highly considering solar and wind power to be the replacement energy sources for the dam.